Cattle Importation

Guidelines for the Importation of Cattle (ruminants) into the United States (except from Canada and Mexico)

Cattle from countries affected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) OR foot-and-mouth disease (FMD, OR rinderpest are not permitted to be imported into the United States (see Country Disease List).

** These are general requirements for importing cattle into the United States. You are advised to contact the National Import and Export Services at 301-851-3300 for the protocol to import cattle from a specific country.

Requirements:

USDA Import Permit;

30-day Quarantine at an USDA Animal Import Center (Canada and Mexico are exceptions);

Official Health Certificate;

60-Day Quarantine before Exporting to the United States; and

Negative Test Results (see list of tests below).

How to Obtain a USDA Import Permit and Reserve Space at a Animal Import Center

You must obtain an import permit from our office. You may call our office and request a fax copy of the import permit application at 301-851-3300 or download a copy from this web site. If a quarantine is required, you must reserve quarantine space at one to the USDA Animal Import Centers (AIC) listed below:

New York AIC
Rock Tavern, New York
845-838-5500

Los Angeles AIC
Inglewood, California
310-725-1970

The Official Health Certificate must state:

that the animals were born, raised, and continuously resident in a country recognized by USDA as free of FMD, BSE, and rinderpest;

that during the past 12 months there was no evidence of exposure to diseases of concern specific to the exporting country. The protocol will list specific diseases for certification purposes;

that the premises has been designated free of TB for 2 years immediately prior to export;

that there were no clinical cases of Johne's disease during the last 5 years; and

that the animals have been individually identified with unique tamper-proof identification.

Before leaving the country of origin the following conditions must be met:

The animals must have been maintained in a tick-free status for a minimum of 60 days prior to export. Within 10 days prior to export the animals must be treated for ticks with a approved pesticide. The pesticide used, concentrations, and dates applied must be on the health certificate;

The animals must be isolated from vectors known to carry diseases of concern specific to the exporting country; and

The animals must be free of communicable disease or exposure to communicable disease for 60 days prior to export.

Testing Requirements

The animals must be tested twice during the 60 days prior to export with negative results to:

Brucella abortus;

Tuberculosis; and

Specific diseases of concern endemic to the region of export that will be listed in the protocol.

The animals will be tested again for these diseases while in quarantine in the United States. Animals that test positive will be refused entry; animals considered exposed will undergo further evaluation as needed to determine eligibility for entry.

How to Contact Us

For additional information about importing cattle into the United States, please contact us at: